


Eye of the Beholder

by Magarie



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Plague, Psychosis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-01-05 22:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12198561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magarie/pseuds/Magarie
Summary: When plague strikes it's never pretty. Those who are lucky enough to be immune to the illness are best suited to cleaning up the towns that don't survive. A typically dull chore is turned interesting when a survivor is found, but she doesn't seem to be in her right mind. Could she be immune to the plague's effects? Will she ever join our reality instead of her own?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading. This was initially intended to be uploaded all at once, but since I'm excited to get started and it isn't finished yet I'm going to start uploading it in pieces. I hope you enjoy this strange little idea as much as I have!
> 
> I know the first "chapter" is practically a teaser, but I'm going to try to update often and break things up where they make sense.

"Another one. Sometimes it feels like we’re fighting a two person war.” We stop as we crest the hill. The little village below is quaint and quiet. We should have lunch here before we get started. I know that we won’t have much of an appetite once we’ve finished working.

“It isn’t us versus them,” Adam reminds me, but I roll my eyes. He might actually believe that, but he gets to deal with the living ones.

“Sure, sure. You’re struggling against an invisible foe. I get that. You’re still fighting the good fight, but you can’t let these people in. They’ll all succumb eventually.” I take a bite of my roll, enjoying how it occupies my mouth more than the conversation.

“I can do what becomes necessary.” I turn my attention back to my food. The good doctor is in full broodlord mode. He is a prince of misery, but I can’t judge him too harshly. We all cope with the epidemic differently.

Bread and cured meats. It isn’t the best meal that I’ve ever had, but it’s good enough for the road. Besides, these sorry attempts for meals made getting back to the land of the living all the sweeter. There was nothing quite like hot meat on your plate and a warm girl on your lap after weeks of stale rolls and cold nights in abandoned houses.

“This land is cursed,” Adam tells me, his unfocused gaze on our destination.

I repress a sigh. He’s being ridiculous. “Oh, come on man! You don’t believe those stories! That’s just the superstitious country folk trying to make sense of something they can’t understand. You’re a doctor. Don’t you believe in your own medicine?”

“How can I?” He turns to look at me, something dark glinting in his eyes. “The cures don’t work. We don’t even have proof that the inoculation is enough.”

I grin at him. “Oh, come on! We’ll figure it out. I’m living proof that this won’t take us all.” I hold my arms out in a flourish. Adam had a tendency to get caught up in his own head, but there was no point. The plague didn’t discriminate. They might as well make use of whatever time they had.

“At least until it mutates,” Adam mutters.

“Right.” There is no point in talking to him about this now. He’s just going to stay sullen. “I better get to work.” I throw him a wink, which I know he won’t properly appreciate. “Wish me luck.”

Adam scowls and my last glimpse of him is as he reaches for his respirator. “I’ll meet you down there.”

I’m glad, as I always am, that I don’t have to put on all of the protective gear, required to keep the plague out, but I do pick up my own respirator. I have no desire to breathe in burning bodies all day long. I stroll over to our wagon and unload our little incinerator bot. I’d drawn a happy little face on the pipe that pokes out of the top so when the smoke billows out it looks like hair. I grin at the little machine that sometimes feels like the only friend I have in this land of death.

“Let’s go, Le Feu, our work is never done.” The servos whir quietly as the machine’s legs unfold beneath it. I reach into my pocket for the little tape recorder there. I know that Adam would mock me if I used it here, so I quietly lead the little incinerator down the grassy hill toward the ghost town.

“Whatever you say, boss!” chirps the recorder in my pocket. I beam at the incinerator bot. Sure, it isn’t really talking, but it is as much of a companion as Mr Moodswing. I press the button again, letting another small clip play. “You’re the greatest, boss!”

“Thank you, Le Feu! Let’s go see what these people have for us!”


	2. Chapter 2

The town is worse off than most of the others we’d visited. It was out of the way and hadn’t received any help. Everyone is already dead. Sometimes I can just tell.

It is a relief in a way; we can do our work quickly, without needing to try to convince the locals that maybe they wouldn’t die too. It’ll help us get home faster. There won’t be anyone here for the good doctor to treat. We can  just search the bodies for modifications and incinerate them. We’ll be done in a day.

In my initial sweep, I go through the first few houses to get an idea of how many people lived in each one, and then I switch to counting the houses and try to estimate how many bodies we might be dealing with. One incinerator would probably be enough. The place isn’t large. A tune is swept along on the breeze, reaching me in a lilting, lovely melody. At first I think that it’s imagined. It’s been too long since I’ve been back in town. I’m just craving contact.

“Oh, isn’t this amazing?” No. That’s definitely a voice. It’s a woman and she’s talking to someone. In song? Well, I carry on conversations with the incinerator. People do strange things to stay sane.

I follow the voice. It is sweet as honey, and I hope that whoever it belongs to is equally attractive. It has been a while since I’ve had a female companion. Adam is pretty enough, but he is still a guy.

She is singing about some woman named Belle, that the other people simultaneously think is amazing and unhinged. I smirk at the whimsy of it. Is it a folk song? I’ve never heard it. Is she making it up as she goes along?

When I come upon her she is merely humming to herself as she reads. She is pretty, but unkempt. I can’t tell if she’s caught the plague or if she just hasn’t bothered to wash recently. Either way, I’m safe. “Hello,” I greet her with a charming smile, dipping my head to try to get her attention around the book. “Belle?” Was that her? It couldn’t be, but maybe she’d like the reference

She blinks. “Good morning, Gaston.” Her voice is soft, her tone prim. 

Gaston? I take a look around. Is she mistaking me for someone else? She doesn’t seem surprised to see me. Maybe she was waiting for us to arrive. It isn’t uncommon for villages to anticipate us. Sometimes they even leave the bodies prepared for us outside of town. No one wanted the plague to spread farther than it already had and word spread quickly that corpses weren’t safe to leave lying around.

“Umm,” well, it is a harmless enough fantasy. Maybe if I’m a friend I can convince her to come with me. “What are you reading?” I try to peer at the cover, but it’s difficult to see. Something about France?

She ignores me, too involved in her reading to realize that I’m trying to help her. “Miss? I think that you should come with me. I can take you away from here.” She won’t want to stay in a city of corpses. Were there any other survivors?

“Gaston. There are plenty of other girls in the village. You should go and talk to them.” She lifts her nose superiorly and continues her walk.

“I, umm,” I glance around the empty streets. Plenty of other girls. Why do I have the distinct impression that none of the other girls are alive? This woman might have survived the plague, but it took something from her anyway. “You’re different from the other girls, Belle,” I tell her gently. “Believe me, I’m only interested in you.”

I can’t keep her attention. Her eyes keep returning to the pages like they’re the only part of her world that makes sense. I pity her. I wouldn’t want to look around myself if this was my home either. I try to pull the book from her hands, hoping that I can lead her out of town with it, or at least get her attention.

She snatches at it, insisting that I give it back. “No! I need that! Gaston! Give me my book! I’ve only read it twice!”

I relent, feeling sorry for her even as I realize that letting her stay in her fantasy is a bad idea. “Belle, you need to stop reading. You’re getting- these ideas. They aren't right.”

“I have to get home to my father!” she announces suddenly before bolting away from me. 

“Wait! I-” I hear her lock herself inside one of the houses. I sigh. I really hope that her father is alive. This girl is going to be a lot of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovely friend drew a picture that goes along with this chapter! I hope that all of you love it as much as I do! Madame-kiksters you're the best!


	3. Chapter 3

I turn and head back toward Le Feu. Maybe Adam had joined me by now. He might have better luck convincing the girl to leave. He was a doctor. They were used to breaking bad news to people.

I see him walking down the hill in his protective gear and I am once again grateful that I have a natural immunity to the plague. The respirator was one thing, but the bulk of the suit and full body filtration system can’t be comfortable. I’d hate to move bodies in something like that. “Look who finally made it!” I wave with a crooked grin.

“How does the place look. Quiet?” I can’t read Adam’s expression, but the set of his shoulders is enough to tell me he is disappointed that I haven’t dragged any of the bodies outside yet. “You’ve been busy.” His tone is dry and it creates a tension between my shoulders that I can’t immediately relax.

“Yeah. I have.” He had no idea what level of bullshit I’d been dealing with while he took his sweet time gearing up. “There is a survivor, but she’s not all there. She’s locked herself in one of the buildings near the square.”

Adam ignores the terseness of my words and perks up at the information. “A survivor? Did she look healthy?”

I shrug. “She looked filthy. It was impossible to tell what was going on underneath all of that, but she didn’t act sick.”

“I’ll go have a look. Which house was it?” He cranes his neck to see. I get that he’s excited to potentially have another immune person to prod. He hadn’t gotten very far on a cure with just me as a test subject. It still feels like he’s just looking for an excuse to make me do all the heavy lifting.

I point him in the direction of the house with a sigh. “I’ll drag some of the others out here for you.”

He nods, but I can tell he’s distracted. “Any modifications will be apparent. Doctors don’t have the tools for sophisticated mods this far from society. Take off what you can and I’ll take a look when I get back.”

“Yeah, alright.” Taking pieces of technology off of corpses was my least favorite part of this job, but it was better than Le Feu suddenly exploding and maring my pretty flesh. Although, Adam may end up needing my help with the girl. The thought brings the grin back to my lips. “Wait- Let me soften her up for you. She already dislikes me, but she hasn’t seen you. She mentioned her father, but I have no idea if he’s alive. Let me distract her and you can check on her old man.” With the added bonus of giving me another few corpse free moments.

Adam pauses his stride to consider my offer and eventually nods. “Okay, I’ll try to hurry. There can’t be many survivors; we would have seen someone by now.”

“The houses I entered looked like they’d been left for a while, a few weeks at least. This place was hard to get to; it’s not likely to be ransacked.” Which meant that any other survivors should be trusting, assuming they weren’t in the same mental state as the girl he found.

I led Adam over to the house the girl had disappeared inside. “I’ll follow you in then?” he asks me. 

I grin before tossing him my lockpicking set. “See if there’s a back door. Otherwise, I’d take a window. She’s alert, just mad.”

“Okay,” Adam sighs, catching the set and letting himself around back. I’d pay to see him trying to scramble into a window in all of that gear, but I have my own job. Too bad. Maybe I can talk him into a bet later and win a re-enactment.

I let him disappear around the corner of the house before sauntering up to the front door and knocking loudly. As I wait for a response, I muse over if the girl will remember me, or if I’ll be taking on a new persona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to finish this fic before NaNoWriMo begins and that's looking doable so far! I have 7 more things to cover and then hopefully updates will get either a little longer or a little more frequent. I'm just trying to pace myself while the work is still in progress. Cheers all! Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday!


	4. Chapter 4

She cracks the door open, but I can see a chain in place. “Can I help you Gaston?”

_ Oh, good. She remembers me. _ Okay, maybe that’s not actually good, but I’ve established that once her delusion is in place it remains. I just need an excuse to keep her in a conversation. Adam won’t take long. “It’s getting close to dinner. Do you have an extra place at your table?”

“Gaston, no thank you.” She starts to close the door but I slip my boot in the crack she created and stop her. I’d rather not be too aggressive, but I need to buy Adam time to check on her old man.

“Belle, wait!” I need to think of something and fast. “The truth is, that I want to give things between us another shot. You’ve just got something that the rest of the village doesn’t!”  _ Mainly a pulse. _ I need to focus. “Please, come away with me.”

“I’ve already told you, Gaston! I don’t want to marry you! Will you excuse me?” She tries to close the door on my foot again but I can see Adam’s silhouette in the darkened interior of the home. He just needs a little while longer.

Wow, whoever this Gaston guy was, it sounded like he couldn’t take a hint. Or maybe that only started once I began to play him. Either way, I’m in this now. Oh well, I’d always fancied a career in acting. “Just come outside and let me tell you what I have to offer! Please, Belle? It will only take a few minutes.” Does she even have a solid grasp on time?

She looks uncertain, but she relents, opening the door fully and stepping onto the small porch. She is just as dingy as before, with dirt and who knows what else smudged across her cheeks. Her hair hangs in matted clumps across her back and I do my best to stand upwind. I may be immune to the plague, but I’m really wishing I had time to put on my respirator. Would that look strange? I can’t risk it; even if every time I get a whiff of this girl I feel like I might puke in her bushes.

Unfortunate wording, but it’s already been a long day.

“Ahh, there you are,” I say invitingly, spinning around to the other side of her as she tries to walk past me.  _ Oh no you don’t. I’m keeping that nice plaguely breeze and leaving your stench to whatever’s down the block. _ “Now, as I was saying-” What had I been saying? She’s going to hear whatever she wants to anyway. Maybe I’d better just play along and be who she thinks I am. 

“Marriage isn’t so bad, Belle. Picture this, we could get a…” what would even appeal to a girl like this? Well, she lives in a small town, so she probably enjoys seclusion.  I wouldn’t want to scare her with images of the big city. “A hunting lodge! In the forest!”

“What would I do in the forest? I can’t hunt, Gaston.”

_ Okay, she doesn’t sound impressed, but at least there is a reasonable way out of this. What do girls like? Most of the ones that talk to me in town want to get married so that they can stop working. Sure, the places I hang out aren’t always exactly reputable, and plenty of women make their own way these days, but a girl in a town like this would probably enjoy being home. She already seems to. She’s how old and still taking care of her father? _ “I can hunt. All you’ll need to do is the cooking-” she doesn’t look impressed. “Uhh, cleaning?”  _ Nope. Damn. Has Adam finished? _

She starts to walk around me, but there is no way that I’m letting her get back into position where I have to smell her! I spin to the side and trap her against the corner of her porch, placing both of my hands on the railing so she can’t just try to slip away again. Sure, it’s an aggressive stance, but at least I’m safe from the oder. “KIDS!” I announce suddenly. Why, I hardly ever met a woman that didn’t want at least one child. “Think of our children!”

Actually, if she really is immune that wouldn’t be a bad idea. Maybe give her a bath first, but two people with immunity were bound to pass on the right genetics. Maybe that’s humanities way out of here.

“I’m not having your children, and I’m not going to marry you,” Belle insists.

I barely avoid making a disgusted face. Marriage. In an era like this? The girl really was crazy. Who got married when everyone you knew might die before the wedding was halfway planned? 

Right. Kids. “Come on, Belle. They’ll be strapping boys and beauti-” she ducks under my arm while I’m distracted trying to think of traits that women find appealing in children. I turn to catch her, but the door slams in my face before I can do anything about it. I hear the lock slide into place and I sigh. “Well, Adam? Good luck.”


	5. Chapter 5

The good doctor is bound to be able to handle the girl, but maybe it’s better if I stay close at hand. Their house is wedged between two others, with only a narrow strip of grass between, so with the windows open I’ll be able to hear  any sort of commotion.

I look up to the second story of the little home and shake my head as I hear the girl shriek. _Well, this is going well already._ With a shake of my head I trot merrily down the front porch steps, skipping the bottom one due to its shady nature. “I’m watching you step,” I grumble behind me after my feet hit solid ground.

I whistle a tune as I venture next door. The lock is in place and I already gave Adam my picks, so I’ve got to go with the next best option.  This door doesn’t seem particularly sturdy so I plant my back foot and kick the wooden planks with my heavy black boot. My heel connects solidly with the wood and I hear splintering where the planks are affixed together. Whatever glue they used must have been strong to outlast the wood, but the structure itself is in need of care, so the door was likely compromised too. “Fine by me,” I mutter before placing another kick in the same place.

This time I’m rewarded by the center plank buckling halfway in and I grin before kicking once more and collapsing it completely. I reach through the splintered mass and feel my way over to the lock, thumbing it open to let myself inside. Adam had better get back with my lockpicks soon, or today was going to be exhausting. What was I thinking letting him run off with the whole kit?

“Let him go! Can’t you see he’s sick?” Comes to me from somewhere next door, which is actually promising. Maybe she isn’t the only living person in this village after all. I go about my macabre labor with a spring in my step. Maybe today would be a good day.

Four people lived in house. I take in as few detail as possible, only learning vague qualities like presented gender and relative age. I manage to notice little beyond that this household had been mostly adults. I’ve done this enough to know that it’s easier not to commit their faces to memory. I’ll have a grand view of everyone later after Adam checks them for mods and I want to remember as little as possible.

I’ve been in a hundred little towns like this one. They all run together after a while, so it’s easy to focus my attention on what is unique about this one- the argument coming through to me from next door. Sure, I had to open every window in the house, but it was well worth it for the snippets of conversation that it affords me.

“No! That’s mine!” Most of Adam’s words have been lost, but I hear his startled shout quite clearly.

“My father is no thief!” The girl's delusions are getting interesting, but I lose some of her words to strain as I heft who I assume to be the father of the household onto my shoulder.

Things grow suspiciously quiet as I carry the man through the house, and I wonder if Adam has been forced to tranquilize the girl until her voice shatters the silence, “Let me- I’LL STAY INSTEAD!” My brow furrows against the noise as I toss the corpse on my shoulder unceremoniously to the street. His body thunks as it hits the dirt, causing dust to cloud up almost to my waist. The noise sounded more like an crate hitting the ground than like anything that was once full of life. I turn back to the house without looking back. Who can spare emotion for this many dead?

I’ve nearly finished clearing the second of their neighbors’ houses when I see Adam emerge from the little cottage. “Well?” I ask him with a grin, leaving what was once someone’s child in the dirt. “How did it go?”

“That girl is insane,” Adam informs me with a growl.

I glance back over at the house, feigning confusion. “Is she? Huh. I didn't notice.” I beam at my friend, and even through the mask I can tell what sort of look he’s giving me. I don’t let him diminish my spirits at all. It isn’t often that there are any survivors when a village is this far gone, let alone two. “So what sort of deal did you work out?”

Adam sighs and shakes his head. “Well, she’s sedated. She thinks that she’s my prisoner and that I was keeping her dad hostage.”

“Huh,” I look speculatively up at the window where I’d heard most of the conversation originating. “What shape is her father in? Can we get away with putting them together?”

“No use,” Adam grumbles. “He’s dead. He has been for nearly a week by the look of things. She won’t let me try to move him. She didn’t even seem to realize that we were in her house.”

I whistle. This girl was something else. I wonder if this is really her house. Is that really her father? She seemed pretty comfortable running around the town, and there wasn’t anyone else around to keep her out of the properties that were unlocked.

“I’m going to need for you to carry her to the cart. I can’t do it in all of this gear.”

I look back at Adam with betrayal in my eyes. “Aww, come on man! Have you smelled h-” I swear he looks smug underneath that face mask. “No, I guess you haven’t. Have some mercy. I’m never going to get that stench out.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that you’re wearing your burning clothes because I can’t carry her that far in all of this gear.” His voice sounds far too smug and I scowl at him before stalking toward the house. He always gives the the very worst jobs.

I am going to smell like shit and worse by the end of today, but there is no point in putting it off. “Did you at least open the front door?” I mutter as I brush by Adam.

“Go right in,” he replies, sounding cheerier now that I’m not putting up a fight.

The air inside the house is less pleasant than the street, but that isn’t unique to this home. The buildings always held the stench of death more tightly than the open air.

The place isn’t as messy as I’d expected. Her state of dress made me assume the worst, but it doesn’t look like she’d touched much except for her books. Sure, there were stacks of them littered around the home, but everything is pretty clean all things considered.

I find her upstairs, near her father’s bed. They both appear to be sleeping, but I know that is only true of one of them. I take a deep breath before lowering beside the girl to lift her. Maybe if I hold my breath this will go a little smoother.

She’s light, she couldn’t have been eating much but she probably didn't weigh a lot before the plague hit. Most places this small couldn’t afford to eat well even in good years.

“Mmm, wha?” The girl stirs, blinking up at me with a bleary expression, but I don’t think she actually sees me. “Where’re we going?”

“Your room,” I reply, because she might as well think of the cell as hers. “We aren’t going to make you stay here.” She makes a noise that is akin to a groan and I watch her warily, uncertain if she is going to pass out again or be sick.

I release a groan of my own and pick up my pace. It’s bound to smell better outside of this damn house. If she pukes on me, nothing can stop me from going and changing my clothes. This was all Adam’s fault anyway. He was the one that gave the girl a tranquilizer. They could have just lured her out of the house with those damned books.

I cast Adam a glare as I walk past him with the girl in my arms. He rushes over to check on her, but I don’t stop moving. “I need to see if she has any open sores. It was too dark inside!”

“Why didn’t you use a lamp?” I grumble. Whatever. He could check on her at dinner. I’d only finished two houses. This girl had put us way behind schedule.

At least she’s light. It’s hard to tell how long she’s been without food. Maybe that’s feeding into the hallucinations, but I’m no doctor. Adam can figure that out. I’m just here to lift bodies.

Well, and to be handsome.

The hill is more of a challenge with the added weight. I’m used to taking bodies down inclines rather than up, but it’s faster than getting the horses to bring the wagon down, with the added benefit of giving me a few minutes to myself that Adam can’t complain about. He won’t know how long I took securing his newest test subject.

The back half of the wagon is a padded cell, intended for just this purpose although we typically use it when we’re on the road and can’t find an inn. I set down the girl’s legs, careful to keep her upright, and fumble for the keys. I manage to open the door without Belle face planting into the dirt and I shift both of us around until my back can prop it open while I load her in. 

She drifts back awake halfway through the process and blinks blearily. “Whass?” she mutters and I flash her my most charming smile.

“Why, Bell, this is your room.” It isn’t much, a U shaped bench runs along each wall but the door and there is a barred window  to the left and right sides, but they’re so small that they barely count. They’re hardly the size of a face, only just big enough to let in a little light. Still, it’d be easier if I sold her on the place. “Look! You’ve got your own window!” Belle leans further inside to inspect the feature I’ve drawn attention to and I push her further before slamming the door shut and bolting it in place.

Right. That was done and she wouldn’t be hurting herself while she was in there. It was time to actually get to work.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything levels out to normal once the girl is gone. I’m left to clear out the remainder of the houses and Adam walks the streets to remove any modifications that can’t be incinerated. They’ll just be left here, another reminder of the town that once thrived. Most of them could be reused, but without a proper way to treat the plague the risk of infection is too high. They’ll rot along with these buildings until humanity find a way out of this mess.

I can tell Adam is in a hurry. He isn’t as thorough as usual in his inspection and I’m certain that it’s because he wants to go check out the girl. I chuckle to myself at the thought. Must be handy to have an excuse to examin the only live woman we’ve seen in weeks. Oh, sure, the good doctor will claim that he’s nothing but professional, but I’m the one that’s going to pay for his mistakes if he lets his excitement get the better of him. “Did you look at the heart on that one?” 

Adam sighs, “Yes, of course I checked the heart.” he spares me a suffering glance before slicing open the next body’s shirt. 

“You just seem a little distracted,” I mutter before throwing another body unceremoniously onto the dirt. It’s really just easier not to think of these people as people anymore.

“Only because you’re distracting me,” I can hear the annoyed edge in his tone. Okay, it’s time to leave doctor man alone. I turn and go to fire up - heh -  Le Feu.

“Ready to work, little buddy?” I flick his ignition switch and watch as his interior begins to glow. It’s a soft yellow color for now, but as it heats it will gradually turn a bright red. I can’t start feeding in remains until it’s at least orange. “You know, sometimes I feel like you’re the only thing I can really rely on, Le Feu.”

I thumb the tape recorder in my pocket and hear it chirp, “You’re the best, boss!”

“Oh, you’re too kind,  Le Feu!” I grin, pleased to be appreciated by someone, even if it’s just myself. “Come on, let’s start at the far end of town.” I key in instructions to follow me and the little incinerator bot whirs along happily behind me. Despite the insulation to keep me from burning myself, I can feel the heat on the back of my legs as he finally warms up enough to work.

I had the foresight to line most of the bodies along the mainstreet. This is far from my first job and I discovered a long time ago that it’s easiest with the smaller bots to have a body ready when the first finishes. I’m not going to be able to load more than one at a time, but I don’t want to be at this for days either. Even if I’m immune to the plague, I’ve got to wear a respirator so that I don’t inhale the smoke, or anything that goes airborne, and it just isn’t comfortable. 

I grumble as I strap it on, feeling my lungs tighten as the leather and metal press into my face. I secure the leavers in the back to keep it tight and take a tentative breath through the apparatus. The air feels stale somehow, like it isn’t as serviceable as that outside. My lungs can’t quite seem to get enough of it. My heart races faster than it has all day, but I force myself to calm down. The world outside of the respirator’s glass looks blurrier than before, like my eyes refuse to process it and a worming sense of paranoia crawls up my spine at the loss of my peripheral vision.  “Let’s just get this over with.”

There has to be a way to avoid how stifling the respirator feels. I think of the girl and how lost she’d become in her books and her song. She’d gone a little too far, obviously, but no one was around to hear me and maybe a lively tune would take my mind off of this thing on my face.

I start to puzzle over this Gaston fellow, who he might be. Is he one of the bodies here? Which one? He doesn't seem like the most pleasant fellow, given Belle’s reaction, but it’s also hard to tell what she’s like under all of the psychosis.

Le Feu stops beside me as a reach the first body and I extend the ramp that will feed these poor souls into the incinerator. His interior is glowing a lively orange which is hot enough to get the job done, even if it’s a little slow. He has plenty of time to reach his optimal temperature, given the lineup before us.

“If only she could see him for how he is now,” I mutter to myself before deciding it’s harmless to sing a little song. Maybe it would keep my spirits up. I’m willing to try anything once, and this has to be healthier than drinking.

I hum a senseless tune as I reach under the arms of the first poor soul. Could this be Gaston? Well, any one of them could be, or none of them. Maybe he was completely in her head. “Gaston, you look terrible,” I tell the corpse before hauling it onto the conveyor belt. He slumps into a heap and is promptly carried toward the little inferno within my bot. “Gosh, it disturbs me to see you, Gaston-” 

Wait, Adam still isn’t here, right? No one can actually hear me? A quick glance around reveals no one so I continue.

I turn on my heel toward the next body. “Every guy here’d like to-” I reel, taking a step back in disgust. I really shouldn’t have placed this one face up. Its eyes are staring back at me, its maw open and waiting to tear out my soul. “Okay,” I say, breaking my little ditty, “maybe they don’t want to be you.” I make sure to toss him down on his stomach this time, but I know that it’ll be a long time before his face leaves my memories.

It’s important to calm down, so  take a deep breath, but it’s restricted by the damnable mask and I’m reminded how incapacitated I am when it’s on.

Right, gotta find this Gaston character. “There’s no one in town as admired as you,” sure, that sounded plausible. “You’re everyone’s favorite guy!”

I pause to let the belt clear. “Now,” I mutter to the empty street. “Let’s see why….”

My eyes scan the dead crowd before me, until I pick out the body I want to deal with next. I half jump over to it, growing excited by my song and the prospect of defining the character given to me by the half-crazed woman. “No one’s- Ew!” I wipe my hand. Had this guy been sweating? How was that possible? “Slick...as Gaston.” I half throw him onto the belt to avoid touching him further. “No one’s quick as Gaston,” I murmur wryly.

Next target, what’s his defining trait? He was a muscular person, but his upper half was far more developed than his lower body. “ No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Gaston.”  gave him a quick salute after setting him down. He looked like the beefiest guy here. “There’s no one in town half as manly, sir.”

I continue down the row, describing the men and woman as I lift them. I’m having such a merry time that I neglect to watch for Adam or to witness the time passing. Maybe the girl had discovered something worthwhile with her singing. I was certainly feeling better about today.

Toward the end I just make up traits that the people might have, carried away with my revelry. “ I'm especially good at expectorating!” I laugh, but who doesn’t love a good spit joke? I can perfectly imagine how Adam would roll his eyes, but I’m halfway through the town already and I’ve hardly broken a sweat.

The traits get more and more ridiculous from there. I feel free and giddy, trying to envision the lives I’ve created for these people. “I use antlers in all of my decorating!” I’m almost laughing too hard to place the poor woman on the belt. I take a break, leaning against a storefront until I regain my composure with a breathless sigh. That was fun. “Thank you all, I’ll be here until sundown.” I pause, glancing back toward Le Feu with an accusing glare. “Hey! Where’d my audience go?”

His eyes are lit up from the heat and the column of smoke that acts as his hair is a rich, dark plume. “ You’re the greatest, boss!” chirps my pocket as I hit the little recorder through my pants. 

“Oh, I know it, Le Feu!” I saunter back to him with a chuckle, flicking off his heat coils. It would take him a long time to cool down, but I need to sweep the area again to be sure we didn’t miss anyone, so he’d be safe enough by the time we got back to camp.. Adam technically should have come to help me, but I have a fair guess at where he was and how his attention was occupied. “It’s always a girl, isn’t it?” I mutter before wandering back up the hill toward our wagon. I need a few minutes out of this respirator, and disinfecting my hands wouldn’t hurt either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finished writing this so I can update it a little more frequently! Yay! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have!


	7. Chapter 7

Adam is up on the hill, as I anticipated. He’s spread out his whole kit of potions and needles on a shelving unit we typically keep folded up within the cart. I grin at him, tossing my respirator near his feet before sprawling out on the grass to watch his work. “Disinfect that while you’re at it. Would you?” He doesn’t look impressed by my teasing, but he reaches down with his thickly gloved hand and moves the mask to the pile of implements he’s touched the girl with so far.

“You’re still wearing that getup,” I note before sauntering over to get myself an apple. Working always give me an appetite, but we don’t have anything more substantial readily available aside from our rations and I know Adam won’t let me hear the end of it if I dip into those.

I chuckle as I hear Adam grumbling behind me. “You know I can’t take this off until we know the girl is clean.”

The apple crunches under my teeth as I tear away a chunk and begin to chew at it. It’s sweet and crisp, reminding me of fall back home. I swallow the bite, feeling a little less hungry than a moment before. I could never go home again. The place didn’t exist anymore. “Aww, did I miss the sponge bath?” Levity was a sure way to make myself feel better, and banter with the good doctor often lifted my spirits. I retake my seat to watch Adam work. He might need me as a control group, and besides that it’s interesting to watch all of his gizmos and concoctions.

“Clean of the  _ disease _ ,” Adam clarifies impatiently while I continue to watch him, my demeanor in no way diminished. He was so excited to find this girl, but apparently she hasn’t been any more agreeable with him than with me.

“What name has she given you?” I wonder on a hunch. He doesn’t answer immediately and a wide grin spreads over my lips. I know I’m onto something. “Come on, what is she calling you?”

Adam mutters something I can’t understand. I sit up straighter, leaning toward him to make it easier. His mask garbles everything. “What?”

“Beast, she’s calling me a beast.”

I wince, leaning back on my elbows and getting comfortable once more. “Ouch. That’s a rough one, buddy.” I tip my head and look him over, realizing what the girl probably thought. “I bet it’s the getup. Can’t even tell there is a human under there.”

“Yes, well,” Adam sighs. “It’s necessary, isn’t it? Once I establish that she isn’t contagious I can remove it all, but for now it’s necessary.” I feel an unpleasant tickle up my spine at the thought of keeping a respirator on at all hours of the day. For once, the good doctor drew the short end of the stick.

He finished whatever brew he’s concocted to test her for plague and then distributes some of our rations onto a plate. I begin to protest, because he’d never let me get away with something like that, but I realize that the girl doesn’t have anything else and settled down. The food in the village might be contaminated, assuming that we could even find anything fresh. We might as well share now and stop back into the city early. Adam was going to want to hand over his discoveries anyway, and the girl needs professional care.

I stay reclined on the grass as he approaches the little cell in the back of our wagon. “Don’t eat that!” Adam screams in alarm. I sit up fully, but I can’t see much of what’s happening. I hear the girl whimper though, and Adam’s shoulders slump. He turns to me and I can feel the anger in his gaze before he speaks. “You didn’t clean out the holding cell before putting her inside?”

Did I leave something in there? It looked pretty clean, but I’d been struggling with the dazed woman in my arms. “What was I supposed to do? Drop her and hope she didn’t wake up?”

Adam sighs and I can feel his disapproving look as easily as the breeze on my skin. “Protocols are in place for a reason. You’re acting like this is your first day on the job.”

Woah, there was no need for that. Maybe he wasn’t getting the attention he wanted from the crazy lady, but there was no need to accuse me of screwing up. “You’re just grumpy because you’ve got to keep that thing on your face,” I grumble, but not quietly enough because he stops his retreat back toward the girl and turns on me again.

“I’m angry because she’s in there trying to eat a half rotten apple that you probably discarded in the middle of the night!” I glare back at him. That isn't fair either. It’s not like I’m the only person around here who eats fruit. Whatever. He can run his experiments and I can have dinner alone.

“Look, look over here,” I hear him cajoling the girl. “Come have dinner with me. I have yummy bread.” His voice turns harsh as she presumably reached for the fruit again. “No! Don’t touch that!”

Wow. He is really bad at this, but I’m not about to help him after the things he’d said. He can handle the situation by himself. He obviously doesn’t need me around screwing things up even more. 

“Will, you please join me for dinner?” His sweetened tone has returned, but I can hear her rejection through the door. She isn’t impressed. Adam sighs heavily, the way the mask muffles him makes it sound a bit like whenever his suit springs a leak. I smirk at the thought, but school the expression quickly. I’m still grumpy.

Adam’s voice is frank now. He’s trying to lean on the authority that this woman has no idea he possesses. I roll my eyes. This is bound to go over well. “Look, only eat what I give you, okay? Don’t eat anything else unless it’s from me.”

The girl starts crying heavily, her shuddering breaths reaching me through her barred windows and across the camp. Adam chances opening her door to retrieve the apple and then flings it away before wiping his hand on the metal plating along his thigh. “That went well,” I quip with a charming smile. “Just us for dinner then?”

He goes back to his workbench and I chuckle before laying back to watch the sky. It’s starting to turn vibrant shades of pink and purple, like it doesn’t even realize what horrors are going on below it. Dinner can wait a minute. I want to take in this show first.


	8. Chapter 8

With the girl in the cart, we’re forced to take out our bedrolls and sleep on the ground. Even after all of our travels I’m not completely accustomed to the unevenness of the dirt, or how many more bugs are out here - probably trying to eat me alive. I shift onto one side and then the other, somehow believing that less rocks will dig into my hips if I alternate between them. Nothing works. I’m just awake and the continuous sniffling of the girl in the cart doesn’t help.

Adam was out a while ago. His suit protected him from the bugs as readily as it had from plague, and having the contraption so close probably blocked out the girl’s crying. Lucky bastard. I didn’t think I’d actually grow envious of him wearing that damn suit.

Not that I wanted to go put one on….

Her stomach grumbles so loudly that I roll over again before my conscience forces me to rise. She has to eat something, perhaps I’ll have better luck than the good doctor. With a groan I pull myself to my feet, shaking the blankets down my legs to pool in a lump on the ground. 

My pack is only a few feet away, but I know the camp well enough to reach the front of the wagon without a light. I pull out an entire day’s rations, because it’s been at least that long since she’s eaten, and prepare it on my shitty plastic plate. I only just rinsed it from my own dinner, but she doesn't strike me as the type to be particular about germs, at least not in her present condition.

I wander back to the door and place the food in the little slot intended for these transfers. Content to have done my good deed for the day, I turn toward my bedroll, but the girl’s whimpers are as loud as ever.

She’s going to need some cajoling. With a sigh I turn back to talk to her before I realize that she might not even see the food, dark as it must be inside the cell.  I detour over to the doctor’s supplies. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him use a special light for illuminating inside the cabin. All of his gear looks the same in the dark and I’m forced to fetch my own torch, which strikes me as a bit ironic, but I don’t want to give up my search for the specialty light.

My labor yields fruit in the form of long flexible mechanical arms with soft bulbs at the tip, I can control each metal tube with the buttons fixed into the handle, but I’m not familiar enough to be good at it, so they sort of just wave around at random. Pleased with my upgrade, I turn off my own light and toss it over to my pack before proceeding to the door of her cage.

Belle flinches away from the brightness, her whimpers becoming momentarily more distressed before she peers into the light, trying to discern its source. “It’s alright,” I murmured, keeping my voice soft and encouraging. “It’s okay, I’ve brought you dinner.”

“He said I can’t eat.” She muttered, curling in on her knees to make herself smaller.

Wow, I’m actually pretty impressed she remembered that. She may be in her own world, but she keeps it consistent. I’ll need to tell Adam that in the morning. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” I argue lightly. “Come now, relax. Your dinner is right here.”

I watch her eyes fall toward the floor where the plate rests. They go wide and she scrambles forward. Coming up short and frowning at the meal in front of her. “This is all?”

“Is this all?” I repeat dumbly. What happened to her growling stomach? Sure, the food packs didn’t come out looking the best, but they were still food! I was going to get in trouble for this the ungrateful little-

I take a deep breath to collect myself. Maybe I can use her imagination against her. I just need to convince her that she wants to eat. “No, of course this isn’t all! Why, we’re providing dinner and a show! My the end of tonight you’ll feel like a princess in a palace.” Right, now I just needed to figure out how I was going to make that happen. 

On a hunch I make the arms of the light wriggle around, the metal plates clicking slightly as the arm bent. Adam needs to oil his tool more often. I’m sure he’d be glad to have that bit of criticism waiting when he wakes up. The girl giggles in delight and reaches toward the end of the light, but I flick the bulbs out of her reach at the last moment. “Please, I am spoken for!” I throw on a french accent because it amuses me.

Belle withdraws her hand back toward her chest with a murmured apology. “Oh, I’m sorry Lumiere. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Has she given me a different name or… it dawns on me that she can’t see anything past the lights shining in on her.  I manage to swallow a snicker. She thinks the lamp is talking to her. Well, she’s more likely to follow the advice of a friendly inanimate object than whatever character she’s made up for me. “A reasonable mistake. Now, sit back, relax, and watch the- no that’s not right. Enjoy your dinner!” Whatever, how well spoken did she expect a lamp to be?

I feel like I need more props so I wiggle the light for a moment while the rest of my body stretches toward Adam’s medical station. I can’t use anything that’s too sensitive, even I know better than to interrupt his research, but I’m not sure what most of this is for.

His thermos catches my eye and I realize that I haven’t provided anything for the girl to drink. Did Adam give her something earlier? He must have, but with the way she’d been curled against the far wall… It was better to play it safe. I get the thermos, which thankfully has a lid attached to double as a cup, although it became somewhat cracked along the road somewhere. Hopefully it still held liquid well enough for the girl to have a drink.

It isn’t quite enough, so I place the thermos at my feet and stretch out again. All I see that I know won’t be used in some medical experiment is an old clock that Adam uses to count seconds occasionally. It’ll have to be good enough. Besides, I think it’s thin enough to fit through the bars, and that’s a major upside in my books.

“Right, as I was saying!” Oh, french accent. Right. “Where were we? You’re our guest tonight! Eat up!” I waggle the light but she’s watching it instead of the food. “Food! Eat!” I encourage, but she doesn’t respond.

Shit. How am I going to get her to put the food in her mouth. I know she’s hungry! It really isn’t that complicated. Maybe if I just leave she’ll eat on her own. She has too much distracting her right now.

I turn off the light and begin to retreat, but she whimpers and I stall. So much for that. Time to go back to my show idea. I glance over at Adam; he better not wake up, or I’m never hearing the end of this.

She likes singing, so I hum a little tune, making the light dance back and forth. Belle perks up, watching the lights move in delight almost as soon as the song starts. The words don’t really rhyme and I feel awkward singing under my breath this way. It’s one thing in the streets, but I don’t do this sort of thing for other people.

It’s important that she at least eats the nutritious items, but unfortunately those are the least appetizing on the surface. Whoever designed these things crammed protein and vitamins into pastes, flavored it slightly, and then put some rolls on top. They didn’t care to make their dishes aesthetically pleasing, but Belle wasn’t going to respond to the argument, “It’s good for you.”

“Try the grey stuff,” I prompt her. “It’s delicious!” Okay, that was a lie, but maybe she was wacked out enough to believe it. “Don’t believe me?” Crap, what rhymes with delicious? Also, why’d I have to point out I might be lying. What a typical “Gaston” move. I smirk, pleased that I could blame my mistakes on this fictional character. “Ask the dishes!” Whew, good save. Sure, I was encouraging her delusions again, but maybe the dishes would back me up.

It works! She- well, she uses her hands, which probably isn’t the best idea given the state of the rest of her, but at least she’s eating! I work the clock in and dance it around a little as a reward, but that distracts her and she takes it. Oops. Sorry Adam.

To bring her attention back to the food I list a lot of fancy dishes that aren’t present here tonight, but if I’m feeding her fantasies they can at least be good ones. I stoop as I sing, pawing for the thermos between my feet. My fingers wrap around the cracked lid and I start to lift, but it comes free and the thermos bangs painfully into my knee. “ _ Damnit _ ! No not you! Uhh,” shit.

I snatch up the thermos and pass it through the bars. “Sorry, dearie, you gave me a right fright!” My falsetto is terrible and I kick myself for making this one female for some reason. I toss the cup in just so I’m not left with anything to make matters worse.

Belle giggles and talks back and forth with the drinking items, apparently deciding that they’re mother and son. She’s forgotten my outburst which is just as well because I didn’t have any more clever ideas for how to gain her trust. I was already singing a song about food like an idiot.

I peer through the bars, watching her eat and as soon as the plate is clear I end my song and turn off the light. That was exhausting. I grab a mask from my satchel so that I can sleep past sunrise. Maybe I’ll good rest after all. Belle can keep the toys until the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

“NO! YOU CAN’T TOUCH THAT!” Adam roars, far too nearby for me to ignore. The hinges on the wagon squeak as Adam flings open the door to the wagon. 

I sit upright, trying to take in the situation, but the mask makes everything too dark. Adam is over by the girl, but what is he-

Oh, he’s cleaning out everything I put there last night. “Just leave it. I’ll get it,” I grumble before laying back down. I can hear the girl crying again. Why did Adam have to ruin everything? It could’ve been a perfectly nice morning. I was pretty sure that the girl wasn’t gonna choke on any of the stuff I left in her little box.

“DO HAVE  _ ANY  _ IDEA WHAT. YOU’VE. DONE?” He accuses me, but he’s just being dramatic.

“I got her to eat, man,” I grumble before flipping over.

“You- Wait!” 

Adam’s pause is more alarming than anything and I sit up again to see the girl running down the hill toward the forest. “Stop her!” Adam demands, trying to run in his ridiculous suit. He’s never been the strongest man and it weighs him down almost comically. I want to laugh but-

Right. Girl.

I scramble out of bed in nothing but my union suit and the sleeping mask, but they’re both grey so I’m coordinated, and take after the little escape artist. I peel the mask off of my eyes so that I can see better, but I keep it on my head since I have nowhere else to put it. It’s a perfectly good mask, and who knows when Adam will let me run into town for another.

“OW OW OW!” I howl as my bare foot comes down heavily on a rock that had to have been sharpened intentionally. Since where were rocks that  _ sharp _ ?

Belle looks back at me and screams - just what a guy wants to hear from a pretty girl - and I try to shout that it’s okay but then I step on a stick and I growl to keep down a swear instead. Adam had better fucking thank me for this.

Lucky for me the girl is too busy looking back at me to run very quickly and I’m able to close the distance quickly before tackling her to the ground. She grunts when we land, although I do try to keep most of my weight off of her. I don’t want to hurt her. Hell, I don’t even really want to touch her but Adam-

“OOF!” Belle scrambles out from under me before I collapse into a pile of leaves. My head is now  _ throbbing _ . 

“What’s happened? Catch her!” Adam calls from halfway up the hill.

“SHE HIT ME IN THE HEAD WITH A STICK!” I scream back, incensed that he isn’t even a little worried over my well being.

“She’s half your size! Just catch her!” 

I scramble to my feet,  _ again _ ,  and lunge after the girl, catching her ankles and dragging her to the ground. She beats at me with her stick.  _ Why does she still have the stick?  _ But I manage to hold on until Adam arrives.

His feet are heavy (and covered) as he approaches and I grin, ready to roll over and make a sly remark when he  _ hauls me off of her _ . I stumble backwards, connecting bodily with a tree and I want to yell at the dick, but I’m too winded to do more than squeak a protest.

“Are you okay?” He says  _ to the girl _ .  _ I’m  _ the one travelling with him.  _ I’m  _ the one we know for certain is immune to the plague.  _ I’m  _ the one that doesn’t have to be kept in a padded room all day. Is  _ she  _ okay. I scoff and try to dust myself off. See if I help him again.

“I’m fine,” I grumble snidely when I have the breath to speak. Adam seems to be looking the girl over for injuries, as if I’d hurt her. It’s probably in my best interest to leave them and go back to camp, but he pulls out a syringe the size of my finger and I run toward them instead.

“What are you doing?” I demand, tackling Adam this time.

Something snaps beneath us and it doesn't sound like a tree root. “It was a sedative, you idiot! Get off-”

Pain flashes through my side in the familiar shape of a stick. I find myself on the ground again. I really don’t know why I bother. With a sigh I stand and begin the walk back to camp. 

“Wait! I can’t carry her! I think there’s a hole in my suit!”

“Get her to fix it. She’s probably not infected anyway,” I call back spitefully. He can give her the damn sedative, but I’m not gonna be the one hauling her back to camp.

I stop back up the hill and take off my sleeping mask before stripping out of my night clothes and back into my working ones. It’s time to go to work. He can spend the day poking and prodding that damn girl, but one of us needs to finish up in the village so we can move out.

The blankets, pillows, anything porous that might have come into contact with bodily fluids has to be burned. I move quickly, Le Feu at my side, tossing things into him as quickly as I can pick them up. I shouldn’t bring him inside. I know that there’s a risk of fire, but that’s really more of an issue with the bodies than some fabric. He isn’t running nearly as hot today. Besides, not like anyone is coming back here this decade.

Stripping the town of much of its humanity takes me about half the day. It no longer looks like anyone lives here, more like some oversized modern art piece. My own village probably looked a lot like this when they cleared it out. I’m glad that I was in the city schooling rather than watching my loved ones gradually succumbing to this shit. My thoughts drift back to the girl and I scowl. They probably have lunch ready by now.

I trudge up the hill, pressing the button on my tape recorder every few steps to hear Le Feu’s cheerful encouragements. It’s no use. What’s the point of eating with them if Adam’s going to devote all of his attention to the girl and she’s going to devote her attention to singing with inanimate objects?

When I arrive I shut down Le Feu and notice Adam sitting on the edge of the open cell eating with the girl. He doesn’t even notice me as he helps the girl get a spoonful of soup into her mouth. He then lowers his head, allowing the small filtration tube to extend into his own bowl so he can eat. 

I sigh. They better not have eaten my share of soup. I didn’t even get breakfast!

And my feet hurt.

I glare at them and check the girl for sticks, but she doesn’t have any. We can’t get out of here soon enough for my tastes.


	10. Chapter 10

We finally leave that tiny, putrid little town behind and head out on the open road. I haven’t spoken to Adam in days, but he hasn’t even noticed with his new little project to keep him company. I can’t believe he thinks she’s prettier than me. We’ll see if he feels the same way once he loses the respirator. Although, my nose has gradually grown accustomed to her smell. It’s not as bad as it used to be.

“Are you still not talking to me?” Adam finally breaks the silence.

“Oh, you noticed?”

“Don’t be that way. You know that I have to get the girl to trust me. She may be the key to our cure!”

I cross my arms over my chest and turn away from his place at the reigns. “Doesn’t sound like it’s going to be ours anymore. Admit it, the cure isn’t the only reason you’re so invested in that girl.”

“Please, I’m a professional.” He sounds exasperated, but I’ve known him a long time. He doesn’t invest in anyone he won’t have a future with, and there was no planning a family with plague sweeping through town after town. No one was safe unless they were immune.

“Good,” I grunt, “Because I think I should take a real shot at the girl, you know, if she’s immune. If she’s interested then we could have some kids, pass the good genetics along, right?” I glanced over my shoulder at him in time to see Adam nearly drop the reins.   
“What? No! I mean-” He clears his throat and I turn away to hide my grin. He thought he could hide it from me. Except the thought reminds me of the past few days and I scowl again. “There is no way to tell yet if she’s really immune.” He pauses and I can nearly hear the gears turning in his head. “Besides, you’d be better served sleeping with a lot of girls, rather than settling down with this one. Statistically speaking you’re more likely to pass on whatever trait keeps you immune by breeding a great deal. It’d be better for humanity that way.

I snort and shake my head before turning forward and leaning back comfortably, hands pillowed behind my neck. “If you say so, doc. I guess I’ll just have to take one for the team.”


	11. Chapter 11

Belle and Adam start spending more and more time together, but she hardly seems to notice me. I stay near the front of the wagon where I don’t have to see them unless I’m puppeting the inanimate objects she’s befriended.

Adam occasionally even lets her out of the cell now that she’s stopped trying to run away and her fits of frenzy have lessened as a result. She hardly even cries at night and I wonder if she’s forgotten the village completely now that we’re so far from it.

I know that things have reached a head when she starts blatantly singing about her feelings one day to Adam when he’s trying to give her an exam. We’re reasonably sure that she’s free of the plague, but he doesn't want to risk taking the suit off. I tell him it’s just as well, given that we still haven’t found a place to wash the girl.

We finally reach a town and my heart soars. It’s been far too long since I’ve had a decent conversation. Adam is always invested in Belle or his research and Belle...well.

“I’ll just head into town, shall I? Get supplies?” I grin hopefully. “There really isn’t much I can do here.”

Adam grunts his acknowledgement over a rack of brightly colored vials and I don’t hesitate in collecting my things. I don’t want him changing his mind and giving me a hard time. He has his work to do and Belle can’t go into the village anyway.

I put on my cleanest clothing and resolve to head to the public baths straight away, certainly before I wander into any taverns, but Adam stops me on my way out of camp. My stomach sinks, but it’s nothing. “Pick up a few novels will you? Just, any sort of reading material. Belle is fond of books and I’d like to see if reading something new snaps her out of her delusion.”

“Aye, aye, doc.” I give him a little salute and then saunter toward town. I breathe in the fresh air and it’s like my whole body feels lighter. It’s good to be back in society.

We’ve stopped into this town before. It’s on the junction between two long, if sparsely travelled, roads. The population isn’t huge, but the location is important enough that infected people get carted away before the whole place is put at risk. Every time we come back there are a few less people than before. I wonder who will be gone today.

Despite my sombering thoughts, I wear a wide grin as I burst into the bathhouse. “Hello, girls! Miss me?” I see Laura and Satya behind the counter and they giggle in response. “Who’s washing my back today?” Laura turns to get me a towel while Satya saunters out from behind the counter.

It’s good to be back.

 

I’m feeling far more relaxed after my bath, well apart from the teeth marks that are still seared into my shoulder, anyway it was well worth it. It’s amazing how much stress can get cleared away with a nice hot scrubbing.

I stroll down the cobblestone street with a spring in my step. It’s so energizing to be around, living, breathing people. The past few days had been almost unbearable with no one to talk to, but here I could strike up a conversation with anyone at all.

The urge to head into the nearest tavern is great, but I control myself and go to get supplies first. We’ll need more food now that there is another mouth to feed and Adam asked for books. Where was the bookshop here? Maybe there would be something at the general store.

While I’m in a civilized place I swing by the tailor. There won’t be time to have anything made for me, but sometimes they have premade garments that weren’t quite right for their intended owner. I wouldn’t mind getting something new now that I’ve deemed one of my work outfits unwearable. That girl’s scent wasn’t going to come out with a mere washing.

Speaking of… I spend a few copper on soap, the floral kind that women seem to enjoy. Now that she was capable of being out of the cart for more extended periods I might be able to talk her into a bath, or at least Adam could since they were so close. Her own clothes would still retain the smell, though.

I swing back into the tailor with a sheepish grin. “Did you decide that you want something?”

“I still don’t have time to have it made, but I was wondering how much you were charging for the dress in the window?” I don’t know her size, but hopefully it will fit well enough. She has to have something besides those blue rags to wear.

“The yellow one?” The tailor confirms.

“Yes, Ma’am, the yellow one.” I stand back patiently, hoping that I can talk the price down if it’s too expensive. Otherwise, I’m going to have to wrap the girl in our blankets and sleep with nothing covering me.

“I’m not sure it’ll fit you, son,” teased the tailor as she continued working to hem the pants in her lap. “I hadn’t actually intended to sell it. Do you want it for your sweetheart?”

I take a small step forward, leaning down to look less imposing. “My sister, actually,” I lie easily, affecting a humble demeanor. “She’s always wanted a pretty yellow dress. It’s her favorite color and I just thought- we’ll, something like that would make her feel like a princess.”

The woman looks up from her stitching and I grin. “Is that a lie, son?”

I frown, casting her a woeful look. “I’ve never been much of a liar, ma’am, especially not to ladies.” She watches me for a long moment and I maintain eye contact until she smiles and sets aside her stitching.

“How does three silver sound?” 

“That’s very kind of you,” I return, although three silver is really cutting into my drinking money. Still, maybe I can get someone else to buy. Belle needs clothes and I know enough of the people in this town. A few of them were probably still willing to pay my way.

I walk out of the store with the dress in hand, swishing the hanger to and fro to watch the skirt move. It was a little fancier than she needed for our travels, but it was no ballgown. She’d still be able to move in and out of the wagon with it on. 

Four paces down the street I shop and frown. I can’t risk bringing this into the pub on a hanger. I’ll get drunk and forget it, or at the very least stain it. With a sigh I turn toward the general store. I can get the books, deliver everything, and then come back for a few drinks. Maybe I’ll even enjoy a nice warm bed. That’ll be a hell of a lot more pleasant than the ground, especially since I bathed today.

Right. General store. I can’t believe that this girl is interrupting my plans when she isn’t even here! This was supposed to be my day off. 

Well, it isn't like she can do these things herself. I find the general store and they direct me to a little shelf with some paperbacks. They’re cheap so I buy an armful. I don’t actually know what she enjoys reading, or if she even can, but there is bound to be something here that will catch her interest.

The man at the counter eyes the dress oddly and I flash him a bright grin. “Don’t think it’s my color?” I quip, but he only grunts and gives me my total.  It’s his loss. I have amazing calves, not that I’ll be wearing the dress, but he doesn’t know that. I spin on my heel, dress flaring out behind me as I strut through the doors. 

Now that I have everything but food I can go back to the wagon. The missing supplies will give me an excuse to come back to town and I can buy it in the morning from the street vendors instead of that frumpy old market man. It’s the perfect plan. Oh! Plus, Adam can pay me back for these book and I’ll have a little more drinking money. 

I’m still wearing a wide grin when I stroll into camp. Belle’s odor greets me before they come into sight. Even a brief respite was enough of a break for my nose to grow unaccustomed to the scent. I try not to let the disdain show on my face, although I realize that she won’t notice if it does. They’re having lunch when I arrive and Belle is valiantly trying to teach Adam to eat despite his mask. He’s trying to explain that a regular fork simply won’t work, but she’s having none of it.

“I’m putting the books up front, Doc- excuse me, beast.” He looks up with what I assume is a glare, but I chuckle like I don’t know perfectly well that I’ve annoyed him. “I got some soap and a dress for her too. I’ll grab some food in the morning. It’ll be nice to have a fresh meal for once.”

“Thanks,” Adam calls back to me, but the girl thinks he’s speaking to her.

“You’ll get it right, with practice.” I shake my head at her kind words. _ How reassuring. _

“I’m going to take some money for supplies,” I inform him. I know where the stash of coins are, so I just help myself.

“Don’t use that for drinking money,” Adam instructs, and I wasn’t even going to until he had to act all superior.

“Sure thing, Doc. See ya tomorrow.” I take a few more coins than I’d initially intended and slip them into my pocket with a cheery smile. The first round was on Adam.


	12. Chapter 12

I stroll into camp the next morning feeling refreshed. My arms are full of meat and produce, my pockets are empty, and sweet images of the night’s events play through my mind. To my surprise, Adam doesn’t mention the extra coins I took from our supplies. He usually counts out every one, insisting that we scrimp as much as possible so that we can save the rest as a bonus. I’ve asked him what he’s saving for, but he never wants to tell me. Today, however, he doesn’t seem to remember that I took any money at all.

He approaches me as I come into sight. I can tell he has news because he isn’t the type to help me carry anything; that’s my entire job as far as he’s concerned. “She loved the books,” he states in a hushed tone.

I raise a brow. “Congratulations? Geeze, dude, I thought you were going to tell me you’d made progress on the cure. This is just about flirting with the crazy girl?”

Adam takes a step away from me. “She has a name.”

“Sure she does, but given that she hasn’t bothered to learn our names, do you think the one she uses on herself is accurate?”

“It might be. It depends on if she lost her identity entirely.” He paused to consider that and then wandered away muttering to himself. 

“I’ll just carry these then, shall I?” I shake my head and go to pack our new goods away. They can make their own breakfast. I’ve already eaten.

When I return to them they’re huddled over the books murmuring to one another. I raise a skeptical brow. I didn’t know that this was the sort of game that Adam usually played. I’d never actually seen him interested in a woman before. Was she his type? Dingy, and only half aware? Didn’t the doctor think he’d get bored of her ramblings at some point? The girl was barely tolerable.

“Are we ready?” I prompt them and Adam stands to lovingly escort Belle back into her prison. He still doesn’t trust her with any objects while unsupervised, but she seems much happier to be locked there now. I turn and go to get the horses ready. Those two are unbelievable.

Adam packs up his things after he loads up the girl and I’m left sitting up front with nothing to do. I take in the sky and whistle a tune, glad that I’m not hauling bodies while I watch them make eyes at each other.

The good doctor finally joins me and we’re off. I watch him as he navigates the horses back onto the road with a bemused smile. He can sense that my eyes are on him and breaks the silence. “What?”

“Are you serious about this?” I try to keep my voice gentle and free from the harsher judgement in my mind. “Adam, this girl doesn’t even believe that you’re a person.”

“She’s sweet,” he counters and I stare at him. He didn’t even try to deny it.

“Spoken like someone she never hit with a stick,” I scoff. “You’ll change your tune once you take that mask off. “Adam, this woman isn’t in her right mind.”

Adam glanced over at me, betrayal in his eyes. “And nothing will happen between us until I am assured that she is. We can visit a psychiatrist if and when I ensure that she’s free of plague. I have a plan. You don’t need to worry.”

I huff a breath through my nose, somewhat mollified by Adam’s response. At least he isn’t talking about marrying this girl or some other nonsense about love. He doesn’t really know her, he can’t. She’s just living out some fantasy that she’s created for herself. 

“How is that going?” My voice is softer now. I’m paranoid that Belle will overhear, even with the noise of the road and her obvious distraction.

Adam frowned at the dirt ahead of us. “Inconclusive so far. I’ve had a few promising results, but several are muddy enough that I don’t want to risk it. She could still be in the incubation period. I’ll feel better once the ones I started this morning finish.” He chuckles and glances in my direction. “I’d really like to be out of this suit.”

I grin and kick my feet up on the rail in front of us. Adam hates it, but I’ve earned his tolerance for the rest of the trip. If he says anything I can just mention Belle’s little escape attempt. “I don’t blame you. Although, you might not like the girl as much once you smell her. I’ve got some soaps so we should stop the next time we find some clean water. Believe me, she needs it.”

Adam nods. “That’ll be better for her wellbeing too. Maybe it’ll help pull her out of whatever this is. I’ll keep an eye out.”

I feel that if he actually had to smell the girl he’d be a little more eager to have her cleaned, but I’d dealt with it this long and I could wait another few days.


	13. Chapter 13

The next town on our lists of clean ups has a lovely little pond just outside of it. We camp there, content to start our work the next morning. I take the light contraption that Belle has grown fond of and lead her down toward the water for her bath. Adam’s suit is waterproof, but we don’t like straining it unnecessarily. If something goes wrong and he gets the plague then it won’t be good for anyone. Sometimes he’s an idiot, but his medical mind is brilliant and he’s our best chance at finding a cure. Well, aside from me.

I really hope that belle is capable of cleaning herself. I’m fine being the one on guard duty, but I’m not sure Adam will ever forgive me if I put my hands on his naked girlfriend- or whatever she happens to be. This situation is getting out of hand, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do about it. Does the girl really like him? Is it just Adam’s imagination? There has got to be a way that we can tell, even if it’s just to verify that she’s interested in whatever persona her illusion has created for him.

I think on it while while washes, keeping my back to her but my ears alert. She’s making no effort to be quiet, humming to herself as she so often does. I could try talking her into something with me, but given her distaste for me that probably wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t prove that she liked Adam. Maybe if she thought that he was in danger somehow?

As an afterthought I pick up her dress and throw it into the woods, leaving the yellow one in its place. I don’t want to chance her putting on the dirty smock, and really it’s never coming clean anyway. It’s better for everyone this way. 

She comes out of the water and gasps as she sees the garment. I smirk at her delight, encouraging her to put it on in my lousy french accent. Once she’s had time to get dressed I turn around and lead her back toward camp, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. I don’t want her to see me and startle. I don’t want to get hit again.

Adam prepared dinner in our absence and I grin at the sight of it, more than ready to eat. He leaves the little folding table that holds our meal to go to Belle, awe in his slow and deliberate gait. “You look amazing.”

“Would you care to dance?” Belle wonders and Adam immediately reaches for her. I roll my eyes and start to eat. They can let their dinner get cold, but I’m having none of that.

Adam makes a few unintelligible noises before offering the girl his hand. “Why, I would love to.” They proceed to spin around the hillside, oblivious to the fact that they have no music. For Belle it makes sense, but Adam is just being an idiot, or maybe he thinks that this will help her somehow, who even knows?

I finish dinner alone, but I’m used to that by now, and go to turn in. At least the camp has lost that heady, pungent smell of shit and mud. Once I finish burning everything in the village nearby I may even get some pleasant air again. The thought sends me to sleep with a smile on my face. I can hear Adam and Belle galavanting around the camp until the moment I drift off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't edit this chapter because I'm sick, but I wanted to update and it was short so here ya go!


	14. Chapter 14

The pair must have stayed up pretty late, because Adam is nonresponsive when I shake him in the morning. I sigh, left to the labor again because he has a crush on some girl. I peek in the cage and see her sleeping too. She is cute, in a mousey sort of way. I didn’t have much chance to notice yesterday between trying to keep her from seeing me and then her impromptu ball with Adam.

Well, the first part isn’t so bad by myself and I’m sure Adam will be more awake by the time I need to burn the bodies. I wake up Le Feu had trot down the hill toward the village. It’s the last one on our circuit and then I can go home! Sure, Adam might still need to stay out of the city with Belle until she’s confirmed to be immune to the plague, but I can always bring them supplies. I just want to sleep in my own bed and see the girls I love most.

This place is tiny. It’s so small that I don’t bother doing an tally and just get straight to work clearing the houses. I’m not sure how they managed to survive out here all by themselves, but the people had to be hermits or something. Maybe they took turns going to the city for essentials. Who knew? But it probably hadn’t taken much time for them to all die off. I was going to have this place cleared by the end of the day.

I was practically home already.

The problem was that Adam hadn’t yet graced me with his presence. I frown up at the hillside, but go ahead and boot up Le Feu and click the recorder a few times in order to hear a friendly voice. Adam hadn’t thought that the last place would have hidden prosthetics and it was easily twice the size of this one. It was probably safe to toss them all in the incinerator.

The people here don’t have any mods on them at all, aside from a prosthetic hand of particularly fine make that one man already had off by the time he died. This job was nearly doing itself. 

I think the man and glance at his prosthetic, wondering if I could use it to entertain Belle but I decide against it. We don't actually know that she’s immune and it’d be a shame for her to survive one wave of plague just to succumb to another. Besides, Adam would have my head.

Le Feu finished warming - heh - up and I get to work. At this rate I may finish with the town before the others even wake up. If that happens I’m making them drive me home while I have a nap because I’ve earned it.

I’m about halfway through loading everyone into the incinerator when I hear a gasp and a shriek. I turn to see Belle staring at me in horror. “Gaston! You have to stop!” Oh lord, here we go again. She can’t possibly think that I’m doing something wrong now can she-

I look down at the body in my arms. I’ve probably been in more incriminating situations, but never while fully clothed. “This isn’t what it looks like.” Force of habit, but maybe the line will still work.

Adam is trudging down the path behind her and I open my arms to gesture toward her, silently asking him what the hell happened. “She didn’t want to go back into the cell,” Adam explained. “It’s okay. She’s immune. I thought that she might be able to help.”

“Oh, she’s doing a great job.” I mutter before she comes up and grabs my arm, causing me to drop some poor woman’s corpse in a hedge. “What now?” I groan in exasperation.

“Gaston! You have to let my father go! Please!” She stares at me with wide eyes as smooth and dark as a freshly polished bar. I don’t want to tell her no, but I don’t know how to make myself anything but a villain in her story.

“Belle, I can’t. Your father is- was sick. You have to let him go.”

“No! He isn’t crazy!” Belle screeches, her nails digging painfully into my arm. Strange how she took that from my words. Maybe she was more self aware than I thought. “There was a beast in a castle! He was holding me prisoner.”

Or  not. I sigh and shake my head. “Belle, there is no beast.” I look up at Adam, seeking his aid. He’s almost reached us now.

“Yes there is! I’ll show him to you!”

A strange ticking sound begins to emit from Le Feu. He’s never made that sound before. My brows furrow in concern as it increases rapidly in volume and tempo. Adam will be Safe but Belle and I…

I pick Belle up and sprint with her toward the camp, ignoring her protests be they screams, kicks, or bites. The explosion knocks me to the ground and Belle tumbles away, but I’m still breathing and after a moment she scrambles to her feet as well. I look back at the rubble behind us and around the square for Adam. He had a better chance of survival than any of us, but I’m still worried. I’ve heard of what those generator explosions can do.

Belle is crying and screaming and it’s getting more and more difficult to think with the smoke and the racket. “Gaston you can’t do this!” she cries and i roll my eyes. What does she think I’ve done now.

I need to look for Adam, but I can’t have her getting herself hurt. The immune are a rarity, and even without her mind this girl is valuable. I go and pick her up, still ignoring her protests and carry her up to the wagon. I can lock her in the cart and then go make sure that Adam is safe.

She fights me, still screaming incoherent protests about her father and the beast, but I tune her out and lock her up. Once I turn the latch on the cell I breathe a sigh of relief and try to collect myself. I need to find Adam. The three of us are the world’s best chance, sad as that realization is.

I turn and sprint back toward the town, leaving Belle’s sobs at my back. I feel bad for her, but maybe I can make her understand when everything isn’t on fire. I cough, wishing that I hadn’t forgotten my respirator in my distraction. As suffocating as the thing was, it wasn’t nearly as back as the pitch black smoke that clouded the air and my lungs in equal measure.

I’m forced to retreat. The smoke has gotten too thick and I can’t brave it without a mask. I turn back toward camp, my heart hammering with worry. It’s been too long I’m sure of it. Adam won’t stand a chance. I took too long with the girl. I should have just dragged her along with me.

“What the hell was that?” Adam’s voice is rough with anger, but I feel nothing but relief. I look over to the side to find him still clad in his suit, stalking toward me.

I jog toward him and pull him into a tight hug, ignoring how the hoses bend and the odd bits of metal dig into my flesh. He’s alive. Of course he is. He’s right here.

Adam shoves me away. “Hey man, good to see you too.”

“You didn’t check the bodies for mods? Are you an amature? Did you completely forget your job here?” 

I’m starting to get angry too. The smoke is still thick enough to remind me of my fear and near death, and all Adam wants to do is scold me? “You know, it’s strange. I thought that was usually someone else’s job, but here I was doing the town alone.”

“Oh don’t start on this again,” Adam take a menacing step toward me, but Belle pushes herself bodily between us.

“Belle?” How did she get here? I locked her up.

“Stop it! I won’t let you hurt him!” she cries, beating at my chest as Adam looks between us.

Instead of coming to my aid he demands, “You left her unsupervised?” He sighs and I glare at him. “Are you completely useless?”

I gape at him. He couldn’t be serious. We’d been working together for years and suddenly some crazy chick comes along and I’m the enemy? “I locked her up,” I inform him tersely before moving Belle to the side and stepping into adam’s personal space. He wasn’t that much taller than me, even in the suit, and I knew that he was no match for me out of it. “Is this really how you want things to go down, man? Are you really going to let things end over some girl?” I shake my head. This is ridiculous. He couldn’t be serious! We’re partners! “She doesn’t even know who you are, man. She doesn’t love you. She doesn’t even like you. She doesn’t think you’re a person.”

“Leave Belle out of this!” Adam demands before running at me. Punching the metal would only hurt my hand so I twist to the side, leaving a foot in place to trip Adam so he collapses to the grass. I hear something pop in his suit and he doesn’t immediately move, but I know that a fall like that couldn’t possibly have killed him. The noise was probably one of the hoses. If Belle’s immune he doesn’t have to worry about wearing the filtration systems anymore anyway.

Apparently Belle doesn’t’ know that though. She runs to him, crying and blubbers that she loves him and that she wants for him to come back. I roll my eyes and scoff at the display, but i know that I can’t take this anymore. The fire will take care of the town and we didn’t have any more scheduled anyway. Once I’m back in the city I can ask for reassignment.

“You two better be happy together,” I grumble as Belle turns to call me a monster. A flaming beam falls off of one of the houses, causing a large crash and while she’s distracted I turn to leave. With any luck she won’t even remember I was there in five minutes.

I got to camp and pack up enough of my things to get me home. I don’t want to travel with them. I don’t even want to see them again. There are plenty of people I could partner with for cleaning, and even if i did lose the incinerator bot I’ll be able to find work. Sometimes cities just burned. Who cared? They were dead anyway.

Despite my better judgement I look down the hill before leaving. There’s still a lot of smoke, but Adam has his respirator off and he’s stripping off the rest of his gear while Belle watches him in wonder. They’re both idiots. Of course they’ll be happy together.

I turn and walk into the sunset, because that’s what the hero is supposed to do. Also, it’s the way back to town. I need a head start if I’m going to outpace Adam and his new girlfriend. With every step I can’t help but wonder, where did I go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't edit this one either. I just wanted to get the end up. Thanks for reading guys! Hope you enjoyed my first ever fic ^.^


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